Helel Ben Nikkal
by Wu Gang
Summary: After Star fled Mewni from Earth with her mother, Marco find himself 'checking' up on her using the Memoratorium in the Plains of Time. There a boy named Attar offers Marco the means to save Star but at great price. Marco has to deal with tumbling into Mewni Politics and working for the Bureaucracy Of Magic with divided loyalties, responsibilities, and the weight of his decisions.
1. Chapter 1

**So what is this story. Well it's set in SVTFOE but it borrows elements from a lot of other works. Dresden Files, Prey 2017,**

 **Star and Moon return to the castle before fleeing to the shrine but River stays behind and the castle faces siege from Ludo and River is captured.**

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" _We must remember that Satan has his miracles, too." - John Calvin_

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I ascended the steps of the Memoratorium with my hand clasped tight. The looming eye in the hall approached me unblinkingly and uncomprehendingly. I unclenched my hand and held up the photo of Star to the eye, then I turned to glance at the monitors.

This place was where all of the universe had its history recorded. It could be viewed at will by those who knew where to find it and what to look for. It was undeniably the most useful feature of the Plains of Time. Though, perhaps also the most dangerous.

But right now? I was just here to see Star. I made myself as comfortable as I could when I watched. Star was born and growing up fast before my eyes.

"Back again? Mr. Díaz?" A voice in the hall made me jump into my martial stance. I went for a weapon I didn't have, borrowing muscle memory from a body I no longer possessed, and instinct left over from fifteen years of adventure.

I took the speaker in as they walked into the Memoratorium. He was taller with a wider build but seemed about the same age as me. His eyes were all violet and his hair was a pitch coal color. He wore a buttoned up purple shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a pair of jeans so he looked normal enough, to a degree.

"Relax Mr. Díaz, I'm the last person who will judge you for spying on Princess Butterfly." The other boy continued, his eyes literally glinting at me in mirth.

When I said his eyes were all violet I meant _all_ violet. Scalera, pupil and all.

I pointed at him, between me and my exit. "And who are you, exactly?" I looked around at the monitors playing Star's early childhood. "Were you here to use the Memoratorium?" That had never happened before. Marco had assumed that he wasn't one of the only ones who knew about this place, but the knowledge that others could use its power made the hall of screens a little more disgusting in his eyes.

"No. I was here to see you."

Me? Just who was he? And how did he knew where I was?

"You were spying on me," I accused, feeling a little vitriol.

"I was," The boy admitted easily, stepping towards me across the long hall. Star had already turned five in the monitors around us. "You see I have a proposition for you."

"Well excuse me but I don't want to hear it. I just want to-"

"Spy on Star and go back home?" The boy smirked. He walked, indian style with one foot in front of the other, closer to me. "You don't want to help Star?"

I took a step back. What was this? Some kind of game?

"You know, you spying on Star is a little like you nodding to Jackie for years. Never pushing forward. Always trapped." The boy was standing right in front of me.

"How long have you been watching me." I looked the other over closer and didn't see any weapons but I'd spent enough time around magic to be wary. Toffee hadn't carried any weapons either, afterall. I pointed from the mysterious stranger over to the monitors. "Using them? Why would you do that?"

"I know I said I wouldn't judge you for invading Star's privacy but you're really throwing stones from a glass house here." He said with some condescension. "Besides, I like to know about my future business partners."

"I'm not doing any sort of 'business' with you." I said drawing out the word 'business' moving my fingers in a circle to emphasize the word.

"Not even to save Star?" The boy gestured around the room.

"You haven't even told me your name." I protested easily, not even bothering to touch on what a fucking creep he was being.

"Well, where are my manners." He looked like he had made a joke of some kind. "I'm Attar."

"So… Attar…" I searched my brain for a plan and came up with zilch. "What does Star need saving from?" I asked slowly, trying to buy time to think. "Her mother whisked her away to their castle and she's been safe there ever since." True to my word the monitors were reaching recent events and were now on Star locked in her room in the Mewni castle.

"Come now, Marco. Can I call you Marco?"

"No." I said with some heat.

"Marco," he emphasized, "what if Toffee wasn't a threat to Mewni anymore? What if Star could come back to Earth? You could go back to adventuring and playing your little games with each other." The boy was almost beginning to lecture. "You could both go back to being oblivious. Come on Marco. You're a smart boy. What if _you_ could keep Star safe."

"I do keep Star safe!" I returned passionately. How dare he? She was my best friend.

"You do? Do you still have that score sheet of who saved who how many times?"

Alright so this guy had done his research. No sweat. Marco Diaz was totally calm. Totally in control.

"Look, guy-"

"Attar." Attar corrected.

"Look Attar, how do you know I even want to save Star. Maybe I don't care."

Attar gave him a look. "I already said you were a smart boy, don't insult me in return." Attar reached behind himself; I tensed and drew my scissors by my side. I could always stab the guy. Or run. Running was a good plan.

But Attar didn't draw a weapon. Instead it was a set of cards. The cards were larger than your everyday playing set and I was pretty sure there wasn't fifty two of them in the stack. Like, there was way more than fifty two.

Attar shuffled them in a bridge and held the deck out to me. "Draw one, any one, from anywhere."

"Is this some kind of trick?" What? This stalker hunts me down and wants to play cards? That was really… not that odd for my life to be honest. Living with Star made things more than a little weird.

"These are magic cards, do you have Tarot cards on Earth? These are like those except these are magical. Go ahead, draw one."

I drew one and flipped it over.

"What is it?" Attar asked.

"A burning tower." I answered, confused. "So I'm going to jump from a burning tower? Like these two?" True enough there was a burning tower struck by lightning during a storm with two people jumping from the structure as it crumbled. At the top of the card was a roman numeral; XVI.

Sixteen.

"Ugh." Attar gave me a suffering look. "The Tower isn't a place. It's an event. It's sudden upheaval. It's eureka. It's a shift in perspective. Its an abrupt strike or the moment of clarity that sends the tower that is your life tumbling down," Attar explained slightly exasperatedly. "I think we both know what that is."

 _Star leaving._

No I was just reading into it. It was so general that it could fit anyone at nearly any point in their lives. Couldn't it?

"So what?" I pressed. "My best friend left me at the drop of a hat. That doesn't mean this card has anything to do with that."

"Draw another card." Attar commanded gently.

Something in his tone compelled me and I drew.

The card was upside down after I turned it over, the numeral at the bottom and not at the top. I made to flip it around to see it-

"-Don't turn it right-side-up!" Attar demanded. Startled, I hastily reversed the card to it's upside down position.

Even from this angle I could sort of make it out. It depicted a beastly figure wearing a pentagram. It had rams horns and a monstrous face and sat on a throne above two people who stood at its feet. They were chained by their necks to the beast.

"The Devil," Attar informed him.

"I'm guessing it's not actually the Devil," I tried to capture the pattern here.

"No, it's not." Attar shook his head. "No one anywhere is free. We're all enslaved to something. Friends, family, power, money, laws, liberty...Normally it represents self bondage but upside down it means breaking free. Being empowered. It has some sexual connotations we're going to ignore for right now." Attar gave him a look. "You don't seem old enough for that."

I tried not to blush at that.

"Continuing on, however." Attar cocked his head to the side appearing honestly curious in his entirety but remaining somehow smug at the same time. I was pretty sure that I hated him. "Do you feel weak and tied down, Marco? Look at their chains."

I did. Their chains were loose. Loose enough to slip over their heads at least. They could be free if they so choose but they didn't. They willfully and knowingly opted for what they were doing.

I nodded numbly, I could hear what kind of tune was being played. "I'm… imprisoning myself?" I looked up from the card. "I can be free?"

Free from what? Free from the pain I felt since Star left me?

"You don't have a plan but you're not happy." Attar sounded serious for the first time, everything else seemed arrogant, mocking, and smug. I gritted my teeth, feeling thunderstruck by Attar's words. "You know what you want, to a degree, and you're not doing anything about it. You could go anywhere in the universe with those scissors yet you keep coming back here. Why? You could visit her in a heartbeat. Why not? You're tormenting yourself, Marco. The bars are in your heart. Never forget that." Attar held out the deck. "One last time."

I drew. Feeling something like understanding. I was trapped after Toffee upended my life. I was… letting myself be imprisoned, be tortured, in a way. An emotional way. I could see that now. I could go visit her. I _wanted_ to see her again. Even if she… well.

Even with what I learned the night she left I still wanted my friend.

"Are these cards really magical?" I asked as he reached forward. "Or am I reading into them? What they represent is very… general. It could apply to anyone, right?" Call it playing it safe but I wasn't completely onboard with trusting this stalker.

"Maybe." Attar shrugged. "But have you learned anything, Marco? Have they shown you something about yourself you didn't know?"

"Is that what they do? With a spell or something?"

Attar grinned at my question. "Knowledge is its own sort of magic, isn't it?"

 _...Maybe…_

I… certainly was more… certain... about where I am after this than he had been before. I gave Attar a suspicious glance before looking down at the card I drew.

The last card depicted a man hanging by his left ankle from a living cross of some sort. Behind the man's head was a bright light and his feet were crossed in an odd way, it reminded him of the way superman floated in the movies, except upside down.

"The Hanged Man. Pretty obvious name, huh."

"So, am I going to be hung? Executed?" I held the cards back towards Attar.

"Not quite," Attar said. "Did you see his face? He wasn't being hung as punishment. Look at his legs. He looks almost relaxed. Accepting. The Hanged Man represents self sacrifice in the name of progress or achievement. The freedom fighter dying for his cause, the free thinker being executed for his ideals, the man who stands in front of a tank when no one else will."

"But he's willing," I pointed at it.

"Do you feel unable to move?" Without waiting for an answer Attar pushed on. "You didn't just _get_ your red belt, did you? Want it and then instantly have it?"

I shook my head. My red belt, my scissors, I earned them. They didn't come free. Neither did Star's friendship.

"No, you earned it. You sacrificed for it and it meant that much more for the sacrifice," Attar gave me a meaningful look. "All things have a price."

I paused drinking that in, "so what does that mean for my situation?"

Attar smirked. "What would you sacrifice for Star?" The other boy knew that he had my attention and I knew it too. "What would you give up if it meant her safety and your friendship?"

So I thought of Star and their friendship. I thought about how I'd suffered this last week without her.

"What are you offering me?" I asked. "And what will it cost?"

"Really?" Attar asked and I nodded firmly. "I was hoping you'd say that." Attar sounded smug again and he extended the set of cards. "Take these. Go to her. Do something."

"But I'm with Jackie! I have things to do on Earth."

"Are you? When every moment you spend you're actually thinking about Star and how much you miss her?" Attar leered, changing demeanor in an instant, holding out the cards.

I sucked a breath in.

 _Fucker._

"It's not like that, we're just friends." I dug my nails into the palm of my hands. I opened his mouth to press further.

"Who are you trying to convince? I know you have a bunch of reasons why and explanations for it, but that doesn't make it true. Let's set all that aside she is still your best friend, isn't she?" Attar gestured at the monitors. "Look."

I looked and saw Star running with her mother. I saw Hekapoo and the guy who froze me in a crystal... (I knew that was real!) looking like balloons? Their eyes were dead, black and empty. Star's mother looked desperate and... frightened.

I'd seen her, and I'd learned about what kind of powers she had. What could scare her this much?

"Will you arrive in time? You missed the siege on the castle. It was brutal. I'm not sure her father survived." Attar taunted, condescension slipping smoothly back into the boy's voice.

His tone didn't make him wrong though. I could see the danger, it was impossible to ignore.

I took the cards from Attar's grasp.

"What do I need to do? This power...You mentioned sacrifice and business." I asked, still watching Star.

"Those," Attar nodded at the cards, "and my advice, you can take, free of charge."

That set some alarm bells off. "What?"

Attar nodded along at my confusion as he extended his hand. The monitors stuttered and changed images. Star was in some… temple filled with Glossaryck statues… then the monitor's cut out. "Agree to give me your soul and you'll have the power to save Star and defeat Toffee."

"My soul? You want-" I paused as my voice cracked, "my soul?!"

"It's my price." Attar held up a sheet of paper. "It's in this contract."

I glanced around the empty hall and thought about Star. I looked back at Attar. Attar's clothes were immaculate except on the shirt there was a dark stain that flowed unbroken like liquid had fallen on the fabric and was pulled by gravity.

It may have been blood.

"What would you give to save her, Mr. Díaz?" Attar was pressing, like he could feel my weakness. "She might need you now."

"Can I think about it?" I asked. I needed time. Time to plan, time to think things through. I can't just commit to something like this!

 _Maybe time isn't on my side in more than one way._

"Do you _have_ time to think about it?" Attar asked back, echoing my own thoughts but still being a prick with a stupid smirk. "Take the contract and read it. If you decide you need the power, you need only sign it." Attar handed Marco the paper. He looked like a shark who could smell blood.

"My phone number is in the contract if you have questions." Attar waved at me. "Don't worry, I'm sure she won't die horribly if you don't sign. Maybe she'll just die painlessly?"

I outright glared at him. "What-" the sound drew up as I watched Attar crumble into cubes.

 _What?_

I stepped closer and saw that the rocks were small and perfectly square, and deeply black.

 _They're not stones._

There was violet colored numbers on the sides. I talked the pile with my foot and watched the cubes fall and clatter against each other like a bin full of LEGOS.

I breathed.

"Alright Marco, alright. That's not even the weirdest thing you've seen all day." The giant eyeball leaned down towards me and I pointed at it. "You are. You're the weirdest thing I've seen all day."

The only thing I felt confident in was my voice.

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 **-WG**

 **Edited 9/18/2018**


	2. Chapter 2

**I really can't get this out of my head. This idea started out as a crossover between DC comics and Star vs forces etc. where Marco takes on the helm of Dr. Fate and gets power that way but that had speed bumps I couldn't avoid.**

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" _I needed something to at least reduce an impossible battle to one I might be able to win, to make it something that was merely liable to get me killed instead of guaranteed."_

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I stepped through to Mewni, my scissors in hand. The ominous portal noises cut out by the sound of the cereal box that I picked up from Earth.

I looked up towards the Mewni castle and froze. The pink, orange, and white globular, tear shaped towers of the kingdom were gone. Well, they were there but they had been burned and crushed and smashed. Flying Buttresses had been snapped and I could see a sign that had once proudly displayed 'C O R N' now just read 'R N.'

Which was pretty bad. Sure, Attar had mentioned a siege but seeing it for real was different than imagining it. When Attar had mentioned that King River could have died in the attack, I hadn't truly believed it but now looking at the castle, I could believe that the staunch and gruff monster fighter was defeated.

The view put the terror I had seen in the Memoratorium on Queen Moon's face into a very real context.

Somebody was throwing something off of the largest tower. Then another thing and another.

Were they dropping people?

The thought made me sick. There was no way they were dropping Mewmans off those towers? Or were they throwing themselves off? I remembered in history class what had happened when cities were sacked on Earth, and suddenly it didn't seem so difficult to imagine.

I made myself look away from the falling 'somthings' and continue to examine the castle. The flags had all been torn down and replaced with those depicting Ludo but he was wearing a crown. It seemed that Ludo had finally made himself a king. The idea that _Ludo_ had caused all this was staggering and I swallowed a growing lump in my throat.

I couldn't believe it, the poor avian creature was, bless his heart, incompetent. Plus the bird's pride would never let him play second fiddle to anyone, even Toffee. Toffee, however, was competent. Alarmingly competent enough to terrify even the Queen of the Mewmans.

And yet the flags were clearly of Ludo and not Toffee even though I had seen Hekapoo and all the others floating like balloons with dark dead eyes.

I took a deep breath and began to walk towards the castle. I'd need a way across the moat and into the castle. I could always swim or… well I was going to say I could hitch a ride on a boat but none seemed to be running errands across the surface of the water surrounding the castle.

I shook my head and pulled out my scissors. I didn't need a ride when I had these. I looked out and cut a hole in space and stepped through into the kingdom.

No wonder these scissors were so tightly controlled by Hekapoo, and no wonder she was on the Magic High Commission.

The image of her soulless eyes while she hung aloft trapezed through my brain. She had been defeated too.

Sure I'd done it, but it took me sixteen years and she hadn't been fighting to kill him, not really. Yeah she dropped him off a cliff and her clones were usually armed but its not like she had just opened a portal and stabbed him.

It had been a trial, not mortal combat.

Against Toffee she would have brought her A Game, and she had still lost. Even with support, with Queen Moon and with the crystal dude at her back it still hadn't been enough.

And if they all lost then what chance did I have? Maybe if we were in Hekapoo's dimension and I had my old body I could do something but here and like this?

I could almost pretend that I could ignore the contract in my hoodie pocket. Even with the cereal box between I and it, the paper left a nagging, wriggling feeling in the pit of my stomach.

I reached down and grabbed it. It felt heavy, more massive than a piece of paper had any right to be.

I began to scan across it;

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This contract between Attar the Lord of Venus (hereafter referred to as Attar) and Marco Diaz of Earth (hereafter referred to as Marco Diaz) relates to the power of Typhon and the Immortal Soul of Marco Diaz.

Marco Diaz shall, upon his death, give up dominion, rights, and holdings of his Immortal Soul. He shall have thirty days after his death to give up his soul or be liable for treble damages and attorney fees of both parties.

Kabbalah CO. shall hold the Immortal Soul of Marco Diaz in trust until the event of Marco Diaz's death whereupon they shall transfer it to the possession of Attar.

Kabbalah CO. maintains responsibility for the Immortal Soul of Marco Diaz during this period. However, they are not responsible for the sins of Marco Diaz before, during, or after this time period.

In the case that this contract is rendered null and void on behalf of Attar, they shall transfer possession of the Immortal Soul of Marco Diaz to its original owner. In this same case Marco Diaz will maintain the powers of Typhon, and Attar shall be responsible for treble damages and attorney fees of both parties.

By the Fair Fiddler's of Hell Act of 1432, should Marco Diaz best Attar in a fiddle contest, he shall win a soul of his choosing from Attar and a solid gold fiddle.

Marco Diaz as the proprietor of an Immortal Soul has the right of free will and the right to wager it and barter a price for it with Attar. He can do so by contacting Attar with his Name.

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The powers of Typhon? There wasn't an instruction manual nor was there a guide to defeat the monster and save the day.

No dice there.

The contract did specify that he could contact Attar with his Name, and that his name was Attar lord of Venus. That wasn't particularly helpful since I wasn't sure what that meant, but I was absolutely sure I didn't want to talk to Attar.

I shoved the paper back in my pocket and stepped sideways in space with my scissors. I set my foot down on one of the towers. I took a look around from my new vantage point. Maybe there was something I wasn't seeing.

It was better to make do with what I had than make deals over my immortal soul.

I gave a start with I heard a squawk and I rolled quickly to the side to dodge whatever was coming my way. I came out of my roll with my head on a swivel to get an image of my attacker. It was a spider being carried by an eagle?

That was a new one.

I couldn't protest that too hard considering all the things I had seen. I would be picking an odd hill to die on if I sat here and contemplated the improbability of a giant spider being carried by a giant eagle.

What I could protest was how I went for a sword that wasn't there with my back against the balcony of the platform I had landed on.

My sword was back in Hekapoo's dimension with my body not here and now where I needed it.

The eagle dropped the spider in an almost rehearsed fashion and the bug scurried towards me, forcing me to look down even as the eagle flew towards my face with its claws. I backed up quickly only to meet the railings and the powerful talons sliced into my forearms. I shouted in pain falling backwards. I opened my eyes and reached out, catching the spider pincers one in each hand, just in time before the arachnid pierced my thigh.

I screamed in pain as I gripped the mandibles tightly, the blade like mandiples sliced into my hands and I felt blood slick my fingers even as I struggled to hold on.

'You can't even beat these things.' A part of my mind told me helpfully. I shouted and pushed the spider up and drew my leg back to kick it's amdomin as hard as I could. The kick pushed it into the air and away making a pained squealing noise as my foot pushed it.

I tried to scramble to my feet but a wave of giant rats lept towards me. One of them sunk its teeth into my neck still others bit at my arms and chest.

I drew my scissors and stabbed at the eagle I grabbed the rat on my neck and squeezed hard into it stopped struggling before throwing it aside. The spider lunged for me after the eagle, just like it did before but this time I was ready and pierced it with my scissors. Green fluid burst from the puncture mark in its side and it made another squeal and backed off. I finally got to my feet and crushed a rat under my shoe.

I opened my scissors and sliced through space. Stepping through I collapsed on the other side. My hands falling into the dirt and the lacerations dividing my palms and the cuts on my forearm leaked blood into the dirt.

I cried out as the earth and stone pulled my skin tight and held the wounds open.

I groaned miserably. I can't even beat _Ludo's_ minions. Let alone Toffee. Those animals alone had done a number on me, even without the cunning lizard.

"Useless." I snarled I pounded a hand into the ground the shame in my heart more agonizing than the pain in my hands. "Why am I always so useless?"

'I was only human. I reminded myself. I make mistakes and I'm not perfect.' I told myself, trying to calm down. It was little comfort. Being _only_ human in a universe filled with magic, anthropomorphic lizards, and giant bugs meant I was at the bottom of the food chain.

I felt the sting of tears in his eyes as I gripped the dirt tightly in his hands, absently rubbing the dirt in my wounds.

I opened my eyes. The contract was there between his hands as I crouched in the dirt like a dog.

This contract… it could be exactly what I needed. I could win my soul back later but that was only if I survived. Sure I could run, but that would mean abandoning Star and even though she had left me, I couldn't bring myself to leave her.

'Please,' I pleaded. 'Give me the power to save her for once.'

I clamped my eyes shut and gripped the paper tight.

"Your blood will do just fine." Marco looked up and met the violet eyes of Attar, through the blur caused by his tears. "We have a deal Mr. Diaz."

"Will it hurt?" I asked the other boy.

He nodded slowly. "Yes. It will be painful."

I nodded, feeling slightly numb. The image of Attar was gone, and I was alone in the mud by the Mewnian shore.

I felt a sting grow from my hands where I held the paper. I watched as liquid silver and purple began to crawl up my flesh.

No, not on my flesh, _inside_ me.

I watched is spread up my hand the pain growing all the while. Light emanated from pockets of purple and underneath my tissue felt like it was being seared, like the glow from cooling magma between silvery newly made rock.

The feeling of burning continued to grow until it felt like someone really had poured magma all over me.

The trail burned a path through my veins the fastest. Growing up my arm like a tributary until it reached my shoulder.

I tried to fight the pain and bit down on my tongue to keep from screaming. I felt tears on my face and when I bit through the fleshy muscle in my mouth I hardly noticed even as I felt my teeth slide through it.

I reached across with my other hand and tried to claw it off. Tearing chunks of meat and skin and muscle out of myself as it spread. It grew back faster than flesh had any right too. Filling in chunks of me like water filling a vessel, and then turning solid. Even as I ripped at himself the growth off the dark grey grew back and spread.

I screamed but the noise was more a gurgle because my mouth had filled with crimson blood.

By the time it reached my face I was silent and kneeling and feeling very little of anything at all.

I felt it grow between my lungs.

I felt it scorch my whole body.

I heard as it melted my ears.

I saw as it burned my eyes.

I faded when it touched my brain.

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It was surely hours by the time it stopped. Maybe days given the position of the sun. I opened my eyes and looked around. Everything appears the same, sounded the same too. The feel of the ground against me hadn't changed.

I had changed.

My body was covered in what appeared to be a black bodysuit, and over it where silvery plates, like a knights armor. The armor gave it an ancient look while the bodysuit reminded him of some sort of futuristic suit.

Across the body suit, lines of purple rain down me, forming something that looked almost like glowing circuitry. It followed my bones and major arteries, and were lit from within by hidden light.

The silver covered my legs like greaves and my shoulders and arms like gauntlets. The plates were thin barely rising above the black of the body suit. Across my chest and back was a single breast plate.

If this stuff completely covered me...

I reached up and felt his face. It was all sleek and met in the center of his face in a ridge.

This ridge which ran all the way from the tip of his chin, over his nose, grew taller and more square and into a plume, and ran back down the side of his head.

The ridge divided his face neatly down the middle.

I breathed in, gaping only to discover that my lungs weren't working the way they usually were. Or maybe they were and they just weren't where they usually were. I could feel my heartbeat coming from a different part of my chest.

My insides burned but not painfully.

I inspected my hands and the deep slices were gone as were the cuts on my forearm.

As I watched I began to come undone. The purple circuits sunk into my skin as the black and silver began to dissolve into tendrils of oily smoke.

I crawled over to the water and gazed at my reflection. The silver armor and mask began to fall away leaving behind tan skin. Glowing purple eyes shrunk inwards and became brown though I could have sworn that there was a glowing needle point of light in the center of each pupil.

The purple that shrank into my skin left behind tattoos. A dark deep purple that was a step shy of black. The marking swirled up to my shoulders and down my arms and legs from the center of my back and the center of my chest. Grown in twisting patterns and smooth curves.

I clenched my fists in the mud.

The armor was gone but I still felt different.

So I waited at the edge of the lake. I wasn't hungry or thirsty, and I wasn't particularly tired. Well I wasn't sleepy, I still felt a body crushing exhaustion.

I looked up at the castle from my muddy shore. I had been sent scurrying away the last time I set foot on the Mewnin shore.

I knew nothing about the power in my chest that burned my heart. I didn't know what it did or how to activate it or even if it was something that needed to be activated, but I could feel it. There was a hunger in me that had nothing to do with food.

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 **-WG**


	3. Chapter 3

**And in here we finish setting the story up and while we touch on cannon after this point we'll be sailing on our own.**

 **Marco is a sort of Monk crossed Fighter.**

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" _Those who play with the devil's toys will be brought by degrees to wield his sword." - Buckminster Fuller_

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I stopped feeling sorry for myself at some point and picked myself up off the ground. It was time to do what I was really here for.

If Star were here, where would she be? I wondered. I made a mental list. The dungeons for one. Unless she was dead. Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.

I debated searching the dungeons, but I didn't have a good way of doing much of anything really, even if I did find her.

So what do I have?

"Karate Boy?"

"Marco?"

I whirled around at the sound of my name. "Buff Frog! Queen moon?!" I couldn't believe it, as they sprinted into the kingdom behind me. But if Queen Moon was here, then where was Star? My suspicions were confirmed when the Queen reached him.

"Marco, where's Star?" Queen Moon was on top of him shaking him slightly in her hysterics.

"I don't know." I told the monarch quickly, trying to get the words out as fast as I could. "I just got here."

"Ludo must have-" But whatever Buff frog was going to say was cut off by a pillar of green light which shot into the sky. The air shook as the the beam intensified. I could only watch as the source of the beam detonated. The sound rocked the tower at the beams epicenter.

The noise was enough to rock me on my feet as I felt the sound travel through me and rock my bones.

I scrambled for cover as stone fell from above me and rained all over the city. When I looked back the tower was pulverised and pieces of stone were still falling even as the smoke cleared.

If I were a betting boy...

"There, Buff Frog, we have to get there now." Queen Moon demanded, evidently having the same thought. "Star must be there."

Buff Frog snatched up Queen Moon and I under each scaley green arm and in two giant leaps delivered them to the site of the explosion. As soon as I was able I took off running towards the pile of rubble. Queen Moon was faster and had already reached the broken stone and lumber and was furiously tearing into it. She pulled a little green body from the pile.

"Ludo!" The Queen began to shook the small bird-man. "Where's Star!?"

Ludo opened his eyes to reveal bright and glowing pink eyes which made me think of Attar. I shook my head in an effort to ignore the thoughts, and focus on the present.

"Where is my daughter?" Queen Moon demanded with heat.

Ludo opened his mouth but his voice didn't come out. To my utter amazement it was Star's voice. It was Star's and it sounded like it was from the far end of a tunnel, like it had to echo some distance before it reached Ludo's mouth.

"Mom! Mom!" Ludo said with Star's voice. "I'm in here."

"Star is that you?"

"Yes it me!"

Moon quickly pulled Ludo into a tight hug. "Oh Thank goodness." The Queen said with relief as she stroked the back of Ludo's head. She quickly kissed the green bird twice with smiling eyes.

Star extended Ludo's arm into her mother's face. "Mom, stop it."

Marco looked confused as Moon cupped Ludo's cheeks. "Star where are you?"

"Well, I'm totally fine. But-uh, but-uh…" Star trailed off. "I don't exactly know where I am."

"That's okay sweetie." Queen Moon said with worry. "The important thing is you're safe. Just stay right there. And remember, no matter what happens I lov-"

"Mom? Mo-m" Ludo's face was twitching oddly and there was some static in Star's voice. "Can you rep-t." It was like the call was being disconnected. Which was odd considering Star was inside a person.

This was honestly pretty horrific.

"Sweetie, are you still there?" Queen Moon began frantically. "Star! Star!" She cried shaking Ludo to improve the connection.

Ludo closed his eyes and when he opened them they glew with viridescent light.

"Hello moon." Ludo said with Toffee's voice. Or Toffee said with Ludo's body? The Queen recoiled.

"Toffee." She said fearfully. Ludo's body began to float upwards at that. "Give us back Star."

"Oh, of course," Toffee said animatedly, "But I'd like something from you first." Toffee leaned forward. "Something that belongs to me." He extended his right hand and the missing digit.

The Queen extracted a glass jar. Inside was the missing middle claw. She extended it to Toffee. "Take it!" She almost snarled.

"Now your majesty." Toffee said opening his hand flat to receive his missing limb. "Do we have a deal."

The queen gently placed the finger over the green semi-star from Star's wand and embedded in Toffee's hand. He closed his fist over it and it fit perfectly and a ring of green light wreathed the cut. Toffee's eyes turned black like there was no one home and dropped forward like a puppet with slack strings.

Ludo suddenly extended his hand, and from his replaced finger spread a blueish grey liquid out over Ludo's body. It crawled over Ludo in a process that was familiar to Marco at once. Ribs formed as the sludge poured into place and in a moment Toffee was standing before them. He held his hands out to the sides in a 'come-at-me' fashion but the effect was ruined with he spat out a green ball of mucus.

Inside was Ludo looking shell shocked and horrified.

Toffee looked at his hand and flexed his fingers as the digit finally reconnected.

"Where's my daughter?" The Queen demanded.

"Where's Star!" I followed. I felt the heat that was inside my chest catch fire, like liquid fire in my _veins_. Like lightning in my _bones_. This was Toffee. There's no way he was just going to hand Star back to them. Back to me. I felt a tremendous fury and impotence.

Toffee extended his hand and showed them the black semi-star. Then he quickly crushed it into black powder and let it fall to the ground. "She's gone."

I saw the world shrink around me and felt cords strum in my body. I the power rose up and I put my fist straight through Toffee's chest.

I felt the fist at the same time I felt myself strike a wall behind me. Stopping me in mid air.

Toffee turned and walked away, and looking smaller to me all the time.

I looked down at myself. I was becoming a wafting pool. A burning electric purple and black _thing._

The Queen gave a snarl of rage and charged forward as Toffee sighed. Toffee turned and blocked tow punches before catching the Queen's hands on the next two swings.

I could see the Queen's tears slowly falling, they fell so slowly..

She pulled back and drew Star's wand thrusting it into Toffee's chest. I could see dark purple lines extending along the queen's skin.

"I call the darkness onto me from deepest depths of earth and sea, from ancient evils unawaken, break the one who can't be broken. From blackest night I pledge my soul and crush my heart to burning coal." I made out dark lines extend further and branching out up the Queen's arms. "To summon forth the deadly power to see my hated foe devoured!"

There was a beat where nothing happened. I felt and watched myself grow another foot.

Toffee took the Queen's wand with his hand. "Are you finished." He said boredly.

 _What a boring motherfucker!_

I felt myself change. Solidify in some place, melt in others and I stood. My body having come back together after Toffee's casual back hand. I raised my fists, black muscles coiling to strike straight through the monster. When I withdrew his hand he could see the shocked looks on the Queen's and Buff Frog's faces at what I knew was a monstrous transformation.

Perhaps as much so as Toffee's transformation from Ludo.

But I really really could bring myself to care. Pain lancing through my as power coiled upwards in my limbs. Liquid flesh cementing and forming in other places. I could hardly feel the pain.

I felt the black grow the rest of the way over his face as his chest plate slid out from within his skin to take its place. I watched furiously as the hole he put into the monster closed.

"Well this is-" Toffee began, but I was already moving. I kicked Toffee in the shoulder and felt bones break under the force of the blow, both mine _and_ Toffee's. Toffee was sent rolling to the side even as my bones healed before I put my feet back on the ground.

Toffee got up quickly, and swing at me. A simple flex of will and I was in his space. Like purple lightning on my tattoos and my hand became solid to catch Toffee's fist and crush the bones inside. I exhaled out of my nose like a bull.

"I'm going to make you regret that." I told him slowly in a monstrous voice that seemed to reverberate so it sounded like two people talking at once. The sound seemed to come from deep in my chest and the noise was allien even to my ears, from a deep part inside of me.

Buff Frog and the Queen stepped back.

Plate closed around Marco's face. Toffee swing in a jab impossibly fast, I ate the blow. It shattered my shoulder plate but didn't reach my flesh. Toffee continued with the swing, bringing his thick tail down on me. I swatted it aside and slammed my heel into the inside of Toffee's knee, breaking the bone. I grabbed Toffee's arm and tore. The flesh was regrowing, rebuilding the lizard's arm from where it had been torn free from the shoulder.

Perhaps it was my imagination but perhaps Toffee's healing was slower. Toffee swung his right arm at me in a swift and martial punch. I leaned down towards Toffee and reached towards his waist for a sword which wasn't there.

 _Stupid muscle memory!_

I swore in his head.

But my fingers closed around something solid. A handle. And instincts of sixteen years of fighting took hold in me. I swung upwards and took Toffee's left leg off. The lizard collapsed onto the humours and ulna of his regrowing bones in his left arm. I kicked those at from under him as Iswung the sword downwards.

I cleaved straight through Toffee's back, nearly splitting him vertically. I kicked again with all his strength right to the side of Toffee's head. He heard and felt Toffee's skull crunch and saw he had nearly taken the beast's head off.

Toffee was sent rolling with the force of the blow and Marco was on top of him swinging again and again to exhaust his regeneration. I cut him in half at the waist and when that started to heal I cut him in half again diagonally. Isliced and slashed and took of Toffee's head and limbs until the sludge that made the reptile's body up stopped moving. I might have kept swinging even after that.

Only then did I drop my sword and fall to his knees and cry. With my anger reseeding, so too did the harsh plates and black flesh.

I sobbed into his hands. Too tired to go on.

The Queen came over to me and put her arm on my shoulder.

"Oh you sweet boy," She said with tears in her eyes too. "What did you do to yourself?"

"I-hic, I made a deal." He said and he saw something in her eyes. "I thought-hic- it would be enough to save her." Icould barely get the words out as I cried. "I was too slow. I'm sorry."

Star's wand suddenly flew from the Queen Moon''s grip on a double helix of light. It flew up and then burst apart before coming back together, entirely whole with a new star. With that star came Star, stepping to existence while made of gold light.

Queen and Buff Frog watched in awe as Star came together and grew a majestic set of wings. I couldn't tear my gaze away either. Her presence was enough to bathe the world in golden light.

"Star!" Queen Moon cried out to her daughter.

"Hi Mom," Star returned in an echoey voice.

"Hey sweetie, don't you look lovely." Moon said awkwardly with a wave.

"Where's Toffee?" Star's voice reverberated.

The Queen quickly pointed to the puddle of goo that was Toffee's corpse.

Star turned towards it and despite Toffee's condition unleashed a wave of horrendous annihilating light. It turned the ground to slag and vaporized the remains.

With that, Star slowly fluttered to the ground and landed on her face. She lay there for a moment before suddenly sitting up and gasping.

Queen Moon and Buff Frog tackled her in a hug.

I just sat exhausted looking on.

"Hey." She said.

"Hey." They said back in unison.

"What happened to Toffee?" Star asked from beneath the pile.

"Karate-boy! He t-"

"It was your mother, with a really long spell." I interrupted giving Buff Frog and Queen Moon a pleading look. Buff Frog looked confused but the Queen just nodded slowly and smiled sadly.

Star… Star didn't need to know about what he'd done and what he'd become.

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"You summoned me, Queen Moon?" I said as he walked into the a large Hall with a long table. I had been allowed to stay in the castle for a few days until he needed to go back to Earth.

"We need to talk," Queen Moon caught me in the castle before I left. A man coming running up to tell me I was being called for by the queen. In an official capacity. "About Toffee," she went on.

I sighed and nodded. She gestured for me to have a seat at the Table next to her and I did. I sat in silence looking down at the table and not meeting her eyes.

"You didn't want Star to know. Because I felt I owed you I agreed. I would, however, like to further thank you for what you did for our Kingdom." The monarch began slowly. She gave me a sad look. "What did you do to yourself, Marco?"

"I'm-I'm not entirely sure," I gave her a nervous look. "I wanted the power to save Star and I- I traded for it."

"What did you trade? Marco?"

I felt uncomfortable and ashamed, but there was also an odd sense of pride.

"I don't really want to say…" I trailed off. "Besides, can you really blame me?" He got a measured look for that. "I saw your arms and I heard that spell you tried to cast. "

"Yes, I suppose I should be thankful you went so far for my daughter." She paused. "And perhaps I also can't throw stones from that particular house. I sacrificed years of my life and my heart to stop Toffee when I was younger, I used the spell you heard earlier to do so. I had to make a deal with Eclipsa, a former Mewnin Queen who ran off with a monster and practiced dark magic. I don't know what the spell was designed to do, and I don't know what I truly gave up."

I said nothing.

"This power, do you know what it is? Can you control it?"

"There's something inside me." I told her at last. "Like a fire. It _burns_ , That transformation is inside me all the time. It's beneath my skin."

"Do you control it, Marco?" The Queen demanded firmly.

I hesitated. "I'm in control when I change, but I don't control when I change."

She gave me a pitying look.

"You know I can't just let something that dangerous wander about." She told him at last.

 _What?_

"But I beat Toffee! I-"

"You did, and I'm thankful for that. I honored your wishes and didn't prevented Star from learning the truth. But you are dangerous, Marco Diaz. As a Queen and a mother I am grateful but as a mother and a member of the Magic High Commission I can't let something so dangerous run about unchecked and unwatched."

' _Something?'_

She must have seen his face. "Marco, would you keep Star safe?"

I almost snarled. How dare she ask him that after what he sacrificed. I felt black spots stirring slightly and might have grown a little. "Of course!" I snapped.

"How do you know you wouldn't hurt her?" She asked pointedly. "Are you sure that _you_ are safe. Enough to risk it?"

That took the wind out of my sails. I fell back exhausted and ashamed.

"As her mother I know how much her best friend means to her." She told him as he sat silent and stewing. "But as her mother I can't let you close to her. Not when you could rip her in half and neither I, her, the Magic High Commission, or perhaps _you_ , yourself, could stop it." Her tone took on something harsh, where before for the entirety of the conversation it was gentle, pitying, and placating.

"So what are you saying?" I felt a bone deep exhaustion.

"I brought your name up to Hekapoo and she told me an interesting story, imagine my surprise when I discovered that my daughter's best friend was a thirty year old man in a fourteen year old's body." I said nothing to that. "I told my fellow members of the Commission what you did and we tossed around ideas about how to handle you."

She paused, giving him a chance to speak. I remained silent.

"We proposed crystallizing you but… well, I can only imagine how Star would react to that. But then Hekapoo came up with a solution I believe would benefit all of us. Tell me Marco, are you looking for a job? You are a bit old to live with your parents, don't you think."

"What are you asking me?" I felt more and more lost.

"I'm asking you if you like adventures, Marco Diaz." The regent's eyes were smiling at him gently.

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	4. Chapter 4

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It was a fairly good deal. I… I loved Earth but I also loved adventuring and sword fighting and riding my dragon cycle. After spending so long doing it both with Star and fighting Hekapoo I couldn't see myself parking my life behind a desk on Earth.

Plus I wasn't sure how much of choice I had. Queen Moon had mentioned crystallizing me because she couldn't control me so I was sort of being forced into this but…

This compromise was the best I could hope for, with his situation. I just needed to tell my parents… and Jackie, too, I supposed. I could always come back and visit but I didn't belong on Earth. Not really, anymore. I was too different to fit in with the humans, I also wasn't sure how human I was, not with Typhon inside me.

I told Queen Moon as much and she agreed that I was to return to Earth before I would start my new job. The Magic High Commission was down a member, and they always needed people who could complete tasks regarding the regulation and management of magic in the universe. To work _for_ the Bureaucracy of Magic but not _at_ the Bureaucracy of Magic. With my experience with some members and my talents I was an ideal candidate.

I wasn't entirely sure what managing and regulating the magic of the universe meant. What sort of jobs I would be doing? But at the very least I wouldn't be bored in school trying to solve trigonometry problems. I had enjoyed school but I didn't remember too much of it, not after spending sixteen years fighting and learning other languages.

I stepped to Earth and exhaled. I walked into my house and braced himself for this conversation.

"Mom!? Dad!?" I called after I stepped through the threshold.

"Marco? Is that you?" My Mom came down the stairs followed by my Dad. "Did you bring Star back with you?"

I shook my head. "We need to talk Mom. I don't have a lot of time and I have a lot to tell you guys."

Mom paused. "Marco?"

I took a deep breath. "Mom, Dad, you know how I'm fourteen? Well I'm actually not. I'm thirty."

Dad gave him a confused look. "Mijo, what do you-"

"I spent sixteen years in another dimension." I told them. "I left that body there but… I'm older than I look and… I have this-"

"Marco what are you talking about?" Mom looked worried.

"I need to move out!" I said quickly getting it off my chest.

"You're just fourteen, we can't just let you leave!" My mother was looking angry and stiken and panicked. "You need school and you need-!" Dad put a hand on Mom's shoulder and she seemed to calm slightly.

"Whatever this is about you can tell us." Dad told him. "You can tell us anything Marco."

"I am telling you everything! Just-can we sit and talk?" I asked.

They exchanged some worried glances but sat with me in the living room regardless.

I told them everything. About my scissors, Attar, my soul, the Queen's ultimatum, everything. They were my parents. I was allowed.

"So… you have to leave because Star's mother?" Dad said slowly. My mother looked close to tears.

I nodded, then shook my head. "Kinda, but after Hekapoo I just… I like adventuring and sword fighting and all that. This is a win-win for me." I saw their resigned and shallow faces. "I'm still going to come back and visit, I also want to find a way to-"

"To win back your Soul? Marco…" Mom sobbed, his Mom, normally so strong looked so frail. "My sweet boy. Oh Marco…"

"I just… I don't belong on Earth, or not just on Earth." I told them. "After all this how can I just go back to school? Go back to a normal life?" I shook my head.

"Marco…" Dad was usually the more emotive of the two but he looked restrained, he wrapped an arm around Mom. "If what you told us true, we can't really stop you…" Dad swallowed some emotion trying to stay strong for Mom. "But is this what you really want?"

Inodded.

"You'll be safe? And visit?" My Dad asked. "I didn't think I would have to deal with this until you go off to college, but I suppose you're not interested in college, are you? Mijo?"

I nodded smiling sadly. I felt tears fall down my face. I stood up and ran over to his parents and embraced them.

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"Jackie? Are you free? We need to talk." I called her after I extracted himself from my parents.

"Sure what's up Marco?" She responded.

"I mean in person." I told her. "Can you meet?"

"Ah. This conversation. You are classy I suppose. Breaking up with me face to face?" Jackie said almost calmly but there was a warble in her voice. "Is it Star? I always kind of figured."

"No Jackie, I wasn't planning on breaking up with you," i told her sadly, "We should talk about something though. I'm leaving Earth, the Queen, Star's Mom offered my a job. It's something I need to do."

"Oh," Jackie was more confused. Whatever she had been expecting it wasn't this. "So you're not breaking up with me?"

"Jackie, I've had a crush on you since kindergarten. I'm finally dating you. I don't want to let that go. I-" I shook my head. "Can we meet in person? I have those teleporting scissors."

I could almost hear her nodding through the phone. "Yeah, I'm down on the skatepark, near main, do you know it?"

"I'll be there in a second." I hung up and stepped through.

"Hey Marco." She waved him over. "What's this job?" She looked me up and down. "Did you get taller? Is that a sword?"

I looked down at his waist. The sword I had pulled from somewhere hung at my belt. The blade was slightly curved in an eastern style shape and was the same grey color and material as the plates which sat beneath my skin. It was wicked sharp and three and a half feet long, It was smooth except at the handle where it had a ribbed grip. A purple line was etched into the spine of the blade, the same color as the tattoos on my skin.

I looked down at her next. Was I taller? I wasn't sure. I considered weighing himself to see how much I had changed but with what was inside of me, I had no idea how accurate any of that would be.

"Yeah, its a sword." I walked over. "Well, the Queen of Mewni offered me a job."

"With Star?" She asked. "Did she give you the sword."

I shook my head, moving past my sword. "No, not with Star. It's a pretty sweet gig, once in a lifetime really, and I-"

"You really want to do it?" She finished for him skateboard in hand. "It sounds like you've made your decision."

"Well I'll be spending a lot of time off Earth," I informed her, but when I saw her mint green eyes they caused my heart to beat faster. I got my words out in a rush. "But I'll still be coming back to visit."

"So…" She began.

"I thought you deserved to know." I told her.

"You're not breaking up with me, you just won't be around." She shook her head. "Fourteen is pretty young for a long distance relationship, Marco."

"What's distance?" I asked her snipping at the air with his scissors. "I can be here in moments."

"But you won't be around, you'll be working. What did you say you'll be doing?" She asked me. "You're not cleaning pools or flipping burgers in Mewni? Are you? You can do that here."

"No its, monster fighting and magic and stuff." I told her. I gestured at the sword.

"Do you have a schedule or something I can look at?" I shook my head and she sighed. "Marco you're cute and I like you a lot but you're leaving for who knows how long doing who knows what, but you really want to do this." She stepped closer. "I'm not sure how I fit into this."

I wasn't sure either. "I-"

"Marco, if you're just coming back here just to make me happy then we'll both be miserable."

"Jackie-"

"You do see that, right?"

"Jackie I'm not coming back just to make you happy," I grabbed her hand. "Spending time with you makes me happy too."

"But not as happy as exploring the universe." She sighed. "Now's a good time to give you an out."

"I want to make this work." I told her.

She shook her head. "You know that it won't. You including me in this was really sweet and meeting me was mature of you Marco. That's sort of something all girls want, but we both know that you'll either be pulled apart or forced to choose me or your work." She laughed lightly and it made my heart ache at the same time it beat faster; she did have a nice laugh, even if it was bitter sweet.

"I didn't think I'd break up with someone because of their career for at least another ten years." She leaned in and kissed me. It was fast but warm on my lips. "Goodbye Marco." She turned around and skated away.

 _There's been enough crying recently._

Damn it all

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 **WG**


	5. Chapter 5

**Marco gets inducted.**

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 _The hardest thing in life to learn is which bridge to cross and which to burn." David Russell_

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I stepped through to the Bureaucracy of Magic, walking past some fountains to a front entrance. A sort of moose looking person stood at the entrance next to a lever. He had a security guard outfit on complete with a walkie-talkie.

"Are you the new Bureaucrat? I see you're already keyed in."

"I'm Marco Diaz." I introduced myself to the moose looking guy. "You were expecting me?"

"Sean." Sean shook my offered hand. "Well it's not every day there's a new Bureaucrat."

"Bureaucrat? That's the second time you called me that." I hesitated. "They haven't exactly told me what I'll be doing."

"You don't know?" Sean cocked his head to the side.

I shook my head. "Queen Moon sort of… well it was her decision."

"Ooh yeah." Sean winced. "Go on inside and we'll check you in, and get you up to speed." He pulled the lever next to him and the door opened up. "Oh and no magic inside the building okay? There's sensitive instruments in there."

I nodded. I really wasn't entirely sure if what I did even counted as magic. Hell, I wasn't sure what I could do. So I didn't think it would be a problem for anyone inside.

But I did already have the job. It wasn't like I was going in for an interview. There was nothing to be nervous about. Nothing at all. I repeated that to myself several times and walked inside. The door shut behind me again.

Inside, there was a desk with what looked like the sort of bins they give you at airports and what looked like a metal detector with inlaid crystals. The mix of technology and fantasy made me glance down at my slightly glowing sword. Thinking about it made my head spin slightly so I moved my gaze back around the room. There next to the machine was Sean the security guard, horns and all. Or at the very least a very accurate clone of him.

 _This is going to be a trend, isn't it._

"Step through the magic detector." Sean beckoned me closer. I did so without complaint.

"Sorry about this. Once you get your badge and clearance you won't ever have to deal with this again." Sean leveled a clipboard and pencil at me. Are you carrying any articles of magic, sorcery, or occult objects of a mystical nature."

"Uh...Probably?" I gripped the hilt of the sword at my waist nervously, indicating it for Sean, Sean seemed to understand and held out a tote for me.

"Just put anything magical in nature into a bin." I put my scissors inside first - those probably counted - followed by my sword.

"Oh you already earned your scissors. That's good," Sean informed me as I patted down my pockets. "New Badges typically have to earn their scissors. It's a bit of a hassle."

I put the Tarot Cards he received from Attar in the bin. "How many others are there? Bureaucrats I mean."

"Do you mean in the present, past, or future?"

"The present." I decided. The question might well have been a good one. I knew from personal experience how wonky time could be, but right now I was in no mood for its shenanigans.

"There's me, I suppose. Maybe three or four others." I eyed up the moose-man. "Ah, I should clarify. I'm retired, kinda."

I nodded at that and held the bin back out for Sean. "I think that's everything, except…"

"Except?" Sean pressed.

"Well, me. I might set this thing off."

"Lets just have you step through." I did and the crystals lit up green.

"Perfect. If it was red I'd have to search you."

Sean looked through the bin for a moment. Examining each piece and waving a metal detector over it that I was sure wasn't for detecting metal.

"Alright," Sean began as he finished waving the detector around. "You're all set. Just head over and check in over at the receptionist, they'll direct you."

I strapped the sword back to myself and wrapped the cards back up. I put my scissors back in my pocket and walked over to the receptionist who was also Sean. A Sean. The Sean.

"Hey Sean," I greeted again.

"Hey," he returned. "So let's see." Sean flipped through several pages at the desk, and opened a file. "You come highly recommended Mr. Diaz. Usually I only get a signature from one member of the High Commission. It shows that both Ms. Hekapoo and her Majesty, Queen Butterfly approved of your badge."

"And that's good?"

"Well, you impressed the right people." Sean said without looking up from the paperwork. "For this line of work, at least."

"And what line of work is that?"

"Well sometimes somebody somewhere in the universe gets a hold of an object or bends time or opens portals willy-nilly. You'll be catching these guys. Think of yourself as an interdimensional magical police officer."

"That doesn't sound so bad." Running around fighting stuff. That's sort of what I signed up for.

"Uh, sir?" Sean began slightly nervously. "I am obligated to inform you that a Magical Bureaucrats like yourself have the highest mortality rate of any job in the universe."

Oh well that was depressing. "Uh… neat." I managed.

"Lets see… you'll be on call around the clock." Sean flipped a page. "You have no non-religious vacation days or sick days. You have to report to the Commission member who assigned a task to you at the end of the quest, whether you live or die, or you forfeit your paycheck. We don't match your 401k and with well… with recent losses we don't offer dental or any form of health care."

"Fantastic." I murmured weakly.

"Alright. I'm just going to have you head up to floor three. Step into the elevator."

I did so and wasn't shocked in the slightest to see Sean inside.

"Hey Sean."

"Hey Mr. Diaz… can I call you Marco."

"Sure, why not?" I was fairly sure I was going to spend a lot of time around Sean.

There was silence in the elevator. I cleared my throat when Sean looked at me expectantly. "Third floor please."

"No, you want floor three." Sean corrected pressing a button with a backwards three. "Don't worry, it's a common mistake. You don't want to go to the Third Floor, though. Just my advice."

"Thanks."

The doors opened back up and I stepped out and turned right. "Hey Sean."

"Hey Marco." Now let's see, "Hekapoo, Queen Moon… and...you just need to answer a few questions for me."

I could see why they had Sean here. Doing whatever he was doing, he probably ran the whole building by himself. "Alright." I agreed, setting myself on autopilot.

"Lets see, how old are you, Marco?"

I thought about it and almost said thirty then I almost said fourteen.

"Who knows? I spent a lot of time in different dimensions."

"Just take a guess relative to your home dimension's standard year."

"Twenty two," I said, going with the average.

Sean scribbled something down. "Species?"

"Mostly human, I'm pretty sure." Sean checked a box.

 _There's no way they have a box for that._

"Lets see, I have your resume and your magical security card here." Sean breezed through several sheets. "I just have to ask if you've ever been to the Plains of Time?"

I nodded.

"How long did you spend there?"

"Who knows. Time was sort of stopped the first time I went there."

"That was you?" Sean looked at him slightly accusingly.

"Well it was really Queen Moon's daughter. I just went along to try and help fix it."

Sean nodded and checked several things. "Hmm, with Omnitraxus Prime's questions out of the way and with Lehkmet deceased, I just have Rhombulus' questionnaire left."

"Alright shoot."

"How do you feel about having snakes for arms?"

"What?"

"Marco this question is pretty easy."

"Er-Snakes for arms? Uh...that's pretty wild?" I guessed.

Sean checked another box and I felt an eye twitch.

"Alright. Here's your badge." It was a gleaming crystal- shaped like the jewel on Glossaryk's forehead. "This grants you the authority of the Magic High Commission on your jobs. Keep in mind that while the Magic High Commission has many allies, it's also a mostly neutral party, we only take care of magic and so you won't have any actual authority on any dimension you visit excluding what those governments offer Bureaucrats like you or are willing to offer in a particular case." Sean looked down.

"And-d-d here's your key card for your flat here. It's on the Fourth Floor." Sean said drawing out the 'd' in 'and' as he searched for a small plastic card which he handed to me. "Now don't forget to confiscate any unregistered Dimensional scissors you come across. It's a standing bounty for Ms. Hekapoo."

I nodded- Hekapoo was very particular about who used which set of scissors.

"So… when do I start?"

Sean looked down at his watch. "Two days ago." He looked back at me. "You should get up to the top floor. Queen Butterfly is paging you."

I turned to leave and stepped into the elevator. As I did Sean the Elevator man handed me a mirror phone, thing, like the one Star used. "Oh! I'm glad I caught you. You forgot to pick up your phone and pager."

"Thanks" I told him. "Top floor please."

Sean pushed a the button at the top of his array of buttons.

I stepped out past Sean at the top floor reception desk.

"Is she in… is she in there?"

"Oh, yeah. Go on in." Sean waved him through.

 _When I thought I was in no mood for time I was unprepared for the magical-moose-man flitting around space._

I stepped inside to see Queen moon looking regal in a black dress.

"Hello Marco. All settled in?" Queen Moon didn't wait for a response. "Good. I suppose you'll want your first task." She settled into a chair at the far end of a long desk. "Now as you know Toffee has been defeated." I gave her a look.

"Yeah, I was there. Are you shouting?" I asked. "Wouldn't it be easier if I just came over there?"

"I don't make the rules of this place." She almost shouted from the far end of the table. "Now Toffee's return inspired some of his old followers. He was always revered by his fellow Septarians but his resurrection seems to have gathered… a cult following. Amongst certain monsters, of course. You'll be going to the Jaggy Mountains and the Forest of Unlikely Spider Bites to bring stability back to the region. Do you have any questions?" She asked grandly.

Uh yeah, like a dozen. I raised my hand and she nodded at me. "Can I-uh- can I get a map?"

She sighed.

"Yeah, I know I'm ruining the dramatic moment but if I don't know who I'm fighting or how to get there it's going to take a while…"

"You're not getting paid per Diem." She informed him. "Or per hour."

"Yeah but I can't go on the next mission if I haven't finished the first…"

She put her head on her hand and gave a rotating dismissive wave with her free hand. "Just ask Sean for a file."

"Do you show up in person to all of these?"

"No." She sighed. "Just the first one. I try and make it seem… less daunting. Considering most of you die within the first few weeks." She stood up and walked past him. "I have a funeral to get to, good luck Marco."

 _Holy shit, what is this place?_

"Cool." I said. "Thanks. I'll just hit up Sean then." I spoke in the empty room.

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So, whoever named anything in Mewni was a prick.

I looked over the map. "Forest of Probable Itchiness. Forest of Certain Death, ah, there we are, the Forest of Unlikely Spider Bites." I looked at the map I had received. "To the... North?"

The cloud kingdom of the Poney Heads occupied a huge section of the map and I could only guess what was under it.

I supposed that the cartographer who did this was just doing his best but seriously? Come on.

I looked at a photo I had been given. It was a purple lizard monster, like Toffee, with a bunch of spikes on his shoulders and a sort of flange fin like things on the back of his head instead of hair, unlike Toffee. Its mouth was more crocodilian than lizard like and its snout was wider.

The packet he had received from Sean - for what I was generously calling a quest - indicated that Amethero (Marco hoped he was reading that correctly) was immortal, with regeneration and enhanced strength, even for his size.

Of course, I knew the truth. Creatures like Toffee weren't immortal. You just had to reduce them to a fine enough paste that there was no hope that it could regenerate. That Amethero was a lieutenant for Toffee indicated that he was lacking compared to the menacing and dangerously competent lizard who I had crushed and broke until he was pulp and then had kept going.

 _Fire could do the trick, too._

Septarians could be killed. It just had to be done _right_. I imagined that few beings in the universe were truly immortal as in couldn't be killed whatsoever. It was probably more likely that some things were hard to kill and just lived, like, a long-ass time.

Attar was probably one but with Lehkmet dead he wasn't sure who on the High Commission was truly immortal. Queen Moon certainly wasn't and if Lehkmet could die then the others could too.

I brought myself back and focused.

I had killed in Hekapoo's dimension, I could do it now too. It had always been in self defense, though.

But this guy was amassing an army. He could end up hurting Star just like Toffee had. Perhaps even as much as Toffee had, even if I doubted it.

Was it still self defense if you were striking first? Honest question.

It probably wasn't.

Except in hypothetical cases where someone was literally hazardous to the health of other just by existing. That would be self defense, and wasn't this _kind_ like that. If I stretched myself just a little I could picture it.

And I… kinda wanted to kill Amethero. Though I wasn't sure how much of that was _me_ and how much of that was the presence of Typhon who sat beneath my skin and bubbled to the surface in purples and blacks.

I felt for my sword and held the handle. I had used mostly a 'Japanese' sword in Hekapoo's dimension, so I was happy to not have to make the switch to a different kind of sword.

Alright. I had my weapons. I was set and determined. Now to actually do the work.

"Just have to find and kill a dude." I reassured myself. "Not too hard, right?"

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" _Know thy self, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories." Sun Tzu_

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	6. Chapter 6

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" _Hell is empty and all the devils are here." - Shakespeare_

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I was, as usual, wrong. I started my search in the Forest of Unlikely Spider Bites (seriously who and why?) and I ended up wandering around the forest and finding nothing. What could I do?

Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. The forest was improperly named too, or at least I had already been bitten by _something_ several times. Which might not sound like a lot but I'd like to believe I live a fairly spider bite free lifestyle.

I sighed. I had no idea where to even start looking.

My arms brushed my belt as I walked, touching the cards.

 _The Cards!_

Maybe they were worth a shot. It's not like they could make him less informed. Plus with Attar they had cleared thing up immediately.

I drew four times, like I had with Attar in the memoratorium.

He drew four times as he had with Attar and examined each of them. One had six swords and a man on a boat. Another had a single sword piercing a crown. The next held a single stick in the clouds, the last had three woman dancing around three cups. He had no idea what that meant. But…

He pulled out his phone and started to google.

"Swords...Regretful but necessary transition… victory… friendship and comradery?"

I didn't know what that meant. It had been so clear with Attar.

"Okay, yeah. I'm in a necessary transition." He held out one finger. "I want victory? I'm achieving my goals? Skip…" but the last one. "Friendship? A new beginning?"

These were vague. Unhelpful even. Did I have any friends I could call for help. Anyone on Earth was out except maybe Janna and that was a can of worms for the desperate. Did I know anyone from Mewni? The royal family was a pretty good thing to have in my pocket but they were also my boss.

And friend.

And I'd been told by my boss to stay away from my friend. But I was still sort of on ambiguously good terms with then.

Poney Head? Okay that was out. Who else did I know?

"Buff Frog." I said aloud. I pulled my scissors out and left the unfortunately named forest. The portal opened up to a mud hut with a drawbridge. I walked up and knocked on it three crisp times.

The whole place smelled out swamp. Heavy methane and plant rot. It was probably a good place to raise a… what was the name for a group of frogs?

"'Ello?" He heard from inside. "Who is dat?"

"Buff Frog?" He called as the door opened.

"Karate Boy?" Buff Frog looked surprised. "You have badge?" I looked down at the glowing purple crystal.

"I do, yeah. The Queen offered me a job after… you know…" I rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Toffee. And you turn into warrior." Buff Frog pointed at him.

"Yeah that." Marco pushed on. "I could use a favor Buff Frog."

"Of course Karate Boy! Come in?" Buff Frog swing the door open and I stepped inside. "You took care of my tadpoles and you asked for nothing in return."

The whole house was flooded and filled with mud and mold. It was probably a frog thing.

I took a seat in one of the chairs.

"I'm looking for a Septarian," I began. "The name is Amethero. He raised a cult army. They started worshipping Toffee or something to that effect."

I read the file earlier but I'd never had a formal education in Mewnish. Just what I picked up in Hekapoo's dimension.

"I 'ave 'eard of him. Septarian is bad news. Except perhaps not for Karate Boy."

Except not for me. Maybe. Who knows what I could do. I certainly didn't.

"Yeah. I don't suppose you know where he is? I'm not native to Mewni, you know? I could use some information."

Buff Frog considered that. "I am familiar with, how do you say, espionage?"

"I don't really need you to spy on anyone," I told him. I tried to imagine Buff Frog being a spy. It was hard but it could be useful in the future. "I just need you to point me in the right direction."

"Boo Fly said lizards were pulling together in old monster temple, yeah? Rebuilding place after big fight."

"A fight with Toffee?" I asked.

"Maybe, don't know." Buff Frog shrugged.

"Thanks Buff Frog," I said standing up from Buff Frog's slug ridden seat. "You're a lifesaver."

"Buff Frog already owes Karate Boy." Buff Frog waved him off.

I opened my map, imagining a location as close to the marked monster temple. He would have to hike the rest of the way to it. He sliced open a portal.

I had to plan. This was more familiar. Against Hekapoo I had known who is target was and had made plans to catch her.

This was no different.

What was different was that the badge he wore was apparently recognizable. What sort of reputation did agents for the commission like me have?

I worked for a group of ageless, - well, mostly ageless - powerful, arcane beings who resides in a hidden and magically protected dimension frequented only by mystics.

People like me hunted warlocks and witches and immortal lizard demigods. Would people be glad to see him if he came to help? Or terrified?

I shook the thoughts away.

It took some time to reach the castle but eventually I was able to make it out in the distance. It was crumbling and had a gash down it's center. The roof had caved in and several pillars had been toppled.

I could see monsters walking around but I couldn't see Amethero. My eyes seemed better than they used to. Was Amethero hiding? Out doing something? Or was I just missing him?

It didn't matter. I sat in the dirt. If I was a cop, then this was a stakeout.

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So stakeouts were pretty boring and it forced me to be alone with his thoughts, which was something I had been trying to avoid.

When was the next time I would see his parents? Or Star? Could I ever get my soul back? What was I now? Was I even human? Was I even alive? I technically didn't have a soul. Could you be alive and soulless? What even were my powers? What even was a soul?

I sacrificed my soul, for a situation which could have probably solved itself what with Star turning into a butterfly. What had I gotten out of selling my soul? Just a bunch of questions. Star didn't come back to Earth and even if she had, well, I wasn't there, was I?

Now he was trapped in a suicidal job or he would have to be frozen like Han Solo and would spend eternity trapped.

This… sort of sucked?

I had my life, at least, and I had enjoyed adventuring and sword fighting against Hekapoo, in fact, I enjoyed it so much I almost stayed there. When he could show the Queen that I had my powers under control I could quit and find out about my soul. Unless I died before then. The contract stated that my soul would go to Attar in that event.

Which I imagined would suck.

I looked at the back of my hand where some black had bubbled to the surface like a deep bruise and then sunk back towards his bones. How did I explain that? Where did the plates and flesh go when I wasn't using them? I didn't, and that seemed to sort of lean towards the 'its magic, don't worry about it' explanation. But I hadn't set off the magical detector with it, so where did that leave me?

Well it left me above a castle on top of a cliff waiting for a purple immortal nearly alone for all the world. Would my power activate when I needed it against the Amethero? I thought about fighting, imagined myself swinging the sword and my heart sped up as adrenaline flooded into my system. Black rose the surface of his skin quickly and the black tattoos which ran down my arms to my hands turned purple and began to glow slightly.

I breathed and calmed back down. The problem was that I just didn't know enough about magic. I needed to find a book about it, or perhaps see what was in the Bureaucracy of Magic but this test had revealed something interesting. My power was instinctual, at least to a degree. It made me stronger and faster. It made it so I could see further and heal faster. I might even be thinking faster than I otherwise would but that was unclear. It was also unclear whether the condition would progress when I transformed. Jackie had said he was taller so there seemed to be something which had changed the rest of the time, but did I have other powers the rest of the time?

I needed to test that. I grabbed my sword and held the edge to the outside of my left forearm so even if I cut too deeply on accident I wouldn't cause nerve damage or cut an artery. Black spots spread across my visible skin as my heart rate increased, anticipating the pain.

I breathed to calm myself down and pushed the blade forward and down. I left I deep cut on my forearm. I watched blood run from the cut but I wiped it away in order to see what was happening.

I felt almost nothing from it, there was an awareness, sure, but compared to what happened to me on the Mewnian shore, this was nothing. I eyed the cut closer. Dark spinnerets were connecting the meat back together and pulling the flesh back into place. My body almost seemed liquid.

It wasn't the instantaneous healing I had against Toffee but it was still damn fast to watch. My healing was there and the black flesh seemed to be always with me, lurking beneath my skin. The tattoos hadn't gone away either. Was that related somehow?

I looked out and still didn't seem Amethero. I turned back and eyed my tarot cards. They _seemed_ to be magical. They helped him learn something twice now. Of course I had been the one to do all the work but they had pointed me in the right direction. I could just be projecting, like a horoscope but it was like Attar had said, they helped. That was a certain kind of magic. Even if it didn't tear down buildings or melt lizards.

"How do I beat Amethero?" I asked myself.

I could try that idea I had with fire. I took one last look at the temple and stepped through to Earth. With six hundred and fifty dollars in my pocket I bought a jerry can and filled it with gas at a station. Then I stepped back through to Mewni and the castle.

I would cut Amethero into pieces and set them on fire. There was no way he could grow back from ash. I sold my soul and I was sure even I couldn't heal from that.

My preparations ready, I watched the monsters well into the night, swatting bugs and watching monsters move in and out. A dog like bull and a giraffe man seemed familiar, others wouldn't but I had a pretty good idea of what I was up against.

I could feel the black tugging against my insides as my adernaline kicked in. I walked up to the castle.

"Are you lost little boy?" A monster was wearing tattered armor and carrying a battle axe. The creature was pig like and built like a barrel. It had two long horns sticking out of its head like an ox's.

It stood next to a purple colored monster which had long limbs and four eyes stacked on a disproportionately small and circular face. This one carried a halberd and squinted its beady eyes at me while giving a smirk.

Guards. Guards implied organization.

I heard as much as felt a vibration in my chest. My tattoos glowed and grey plates were rising. I tempered it. "I'm here on Magic High Commission business," I informed them in my most commanding and official sounding voice. "Where's Amethero?"

"Where's Amethero, he says." Pig laughed. Purple gave a low chuckle. "Looking to die? Amethero is unstoppable."

 _Rip his head off._

I ignored the thought.

"Commission? You?" Purple leaned closer. I felt plates close around him and black crawl up his face as I grew taller still.

Pig tapped Purple on the shoulder and pointed down at my chest where the badge shone.

"Neat crystal." Purple squealed slightly. "Where'd you ste-"

I grabbed him by his long throat and pulled his head down to meet mine. I meant to be gentle but firm but the body just snapped and I broke Purple's neck. Pig reared back in fear swung his axe in panic it cut through my chest in a diagonal slash through black flesh that closed, not as quickly as if I was at full, but alarmingly fast. I fell from the blow but stood up and drew my sword. I slashed as I closed the gap between them. I turned getting up, swinging my sword, and charging into a supernaturally smooth motion and the sharp blade across the wood of the battle axe and shattered it. It left a gash across Pigs chest.

Pig fell with a short cry. I felt plate click into place around his legs.

"Ahhh." Pig gave a cry.

 _Shut up!_

"Shut up." I growled.

"I-I-I don't want to die Mr. Bureaucrat, sir." Pig whined out. "I-I was trying to warn hi-im."

"Where's Amethero?" I snarled. I leveled my sword. "Where is he?"

I could hear voices from inside likely responding to Pig's howls of pain. The grey armor was folding into place on Marco's arms and black crawled up his neck. Purple lines raced across my body.

"H-h-h-he's inside." Pig choked out. "T-th-the throne room."

That was probably as good as I was going to get. I punched pig in the face and charged up the steps into the throne room. Marco charged up the steps. Throne room. Where would the throne room be in a collapsed temple.

I crossed a dozen steps in three superhuman strides dashing like I was on the wind. My tattoos glowed as I did. It was as though lightning struck my spine. I crossed a dozen steps in three superhuman strides.

 _This feels_ …

A group of monsters stepped out to face me. They weren't all armed.

"You. Stop." A green Septarian said pointing. I went through him, cutting through his chest diagonally and stepping forward. The giraffe monster tried to grab me but I stepped clear out of the way. One of them brought a sword down on my and it slashed into my shoulder. A tentacle wrapped around my waist and held me still for only so long before he brought his left hand down and tore. Blood splattered over me.

 _I'm unstoppable._

I turned around rather than charge further into the temple. I struck out and punched the part dog and part bull. The blow rocked him on his feet. The Bulldog slouched over. He doubled over and I delivered an uppercut to his head that actually lifted him up.

I kicked out towards it's leg, as I had been taught by my sensei and delivered a blow with my shin to the side of it's knee. It broke, snapping under my strength. A spear struck my armor from above. There, three monsters stood, one nursing a ripped tentacle.

" _Tell me where Amethero is?_ " My voice was so strange. " _Or I cut his head off._ "

They leveled a crossbow at me and fired. The dart pierced my abdomen. I reached down and ripped it out. Then I took my sword in both hands and swung. The blow was caught on a buckler. The green Septarian was back on his feet. He seemed to have komodo features. A narrow head and a flicking tongue. He had two horns and no hair, like Amethero.

The Septarian hit me with it's spear, driving it into my stomach and pushing me towards the edge of a cliff. I brought my arms down unto it and it snapped. The Septarian snarled and lashed out with it's buckler. The side of the shield rung my head like a bell.

I fell to one knee and another crossbow bolt launched at me but was caught on my armor. I rolled out of the way of an arrow and sung back to my feet.

" _Have it your way_." I snarled. I swung my sword through the Septarian's stomach and grabbed him tackling him back towards the temple entrance. I mounted him and punched him over and over and over. Blood came away and when he stopped moving I finally stood up. An arrow pierced my arm between the plates but I ignored it. I grabbed my sword beside us and stabbed downward into the Septarian's chest and down into the stone.

I looked up and the three monsters dropped their weapons. Eyes wide in terror.

A winged bat dive bombed me and I hit it out of the air. Something slammed me off my feet when I attempted to ascend the steps but something slammed me off my feet. I dug my hand into the stairs to keep from rolling off. I stood crouched and ready. A part gorilla part baboon roared in my face. It swung a meaty fist and hit my in the chest knocking back towards the septarian who was moving around but couldn't get the sword free.

The blow was so powerful that I felt it through the plate on my chest. It crushed and left me gagging. I healed quickly and pulled the arrow free from my body.

Something cat like was waiting for me and slashed with six inch long claws, flanking me one the side. I caught it's hands with my one and crushed it's bones. I head butted it so hard I heard it's nose break. I reached around over it's neck and leaned back as far as I could until I felt something snap and I dropped it.

The Gorilla was on top of me now and it's fist seemed slow, especially to someone like me who had trained. I slipped the punch and hit him once in the face and three quick times to the gut. It swung back in a large hook that I ducked under and hit him with one of my own as I stepped under and past it. I jumped, spinning and kicking my leg out, pushing off the wall and delivering a massive punch to its face when it turned towards me. It reeled and stumbled before falling off the edge, it's arms cartwheeling until it finally tipped over.

"What's going on here!" A gravelly voice bellowed. I looked up.

 _Hello, Amethero._

I said nothing and rolled back towards my sword. I pulled it free of the green lizards chest and sliced across it's face as I did to keep it down. I jumped up the stairs, finally making it up the steps. Amethero caught the sword on a hook like weapon and tried to push me back.

I matched his strength and for a moment we were evenly matched, pushing and sizing one another up. Amethero leaned forward with massive jaws which nearly closed around my head but I swept backwards disengaging and twisting out of the way when Amethero swung his sword.

Amethero noticed the gem on my chest. "The Commission sent you after me? You think I will go quietly you are sorely mistaken, for the Monster Kingdom, for Prince Toffee."

" _Toffee is already dead._ "

"You lie," He swung his sword and I parried it, I twisted my sword up and over his and dug it into his chest. Amethero didn't so much as grunt as he recovered and swung his sword at me enraged. It was a predictable attack and I pushed it accordingly. I stepped back again, my reach greater than his, and held my sword out. The force of both our blows met with my sword hitting his hand above the wrist. Amethero stumbled back now weaponless and fell to a knee, his arm was already growing back.

It wasn't as fast as my regeneration, nor Toffees and I lunged forwards slicing up into him. I aborted the attack when something leapt towards me. I caught the open mouth of a giant rat which had a disproportionate face and mouth large enough to swallow me whole.

I broke it's teeth and lower jaw. It scrambled back squealing and I cut through it. I moved back towards Amethero and cut him down again. I sliced over and over until something with a zygodactyl claw grabbed me and tried to pull me off. I grabbed the bird like thing and crushed it's hollow bones.

I stabbed straight through it.

Amethero was getting up. The green Septarian tried to sneak up on me but I slashed him down. He was weaponless apart from his claws and couldn't stand up to me. I slashed again and again until it wasn't getting up.

I looked back towards Amethero. He was gone, running away. A flash of something silver and a portal opened. He stepped through it and the portal closed.

I snarled in rage. After all that, he escaped. I turned back to the green Septarian. His eyes were wide in fear. I raised my sword, seeing red.

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 **WG**


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